My AirPods Won't Connect To My iPhone! Here's The Real Fix.

David Lynch

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Your Apple AirPods won’t work and you don't know what to do. Your iPhone's software, hardware, and Bluetooth all need to be set up correctly whenever you use your AirPods, so tracking down the problem can be tricky — but I'll walk you through the process. In this article, I'll show you why your AirPods won't connect to your iPhone and how to fix the problem for good.

Do I Need A New Pair Of AirPods? Are My AirPods Broken?

At this point, it's impossible to say. AirPods aren't just another pair of Bluetooth headphones. Apple designed the AirPods with a custom W1 chip with built-in accelerometers (motion sensors) and other technology that allows your iPhone to take advantage of all the new features that Apple invented for the AirPods.

Even if your other Bluetooth headphones are working with your iPhone, that doesn't necessarily mean that your AirPods are broken. Even if you exchange your AirPods for a new pair, you could end up having the exact same problem if there is a hardware or software issue on your iPhone. Our guide will help you determine the real source of the problem so you can connect your AirPods to your iPhone and start listening to music.

How To Connect AirPods To Your iPhone

15 Steps Total

1.

Turn Your iPhone Off And Back On

When you turn off your iPhone, the operating system shuts down all the little background programs that keep your iPhone running. When you turn your iPhone back on, all those little background programs start fresh, and sometimes that’s enough to fix a simple software glitch.

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How Do I Turn My iPhone Off And Back On?

Press and hold the power button until "slide to power off" appears on the screen.

Use your finger to swipe the red power button across the screen from left to right.

Wait for your iPhone to turn all the way off. This may take up to 30 seconds.

To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Clean Your AirPods and Charging Case

If dirt, dust, or other debris gets into your AirPods or Charging Case, it can affect their functionality and cause hardware problems. For example, if there is debris in your Charging Case, your AirPods may not charge properly.

Get a soft, lint-free cloth. Don't use tissue or cloth that will break up inside your devices.

Gently wipe your AirPods and Charging Case with the cloth.

For more compact debris, you can use an anti-static brush or new toothbrush to clean it out.

Make Sure Your AirPods Are In Range Of Your iPhone

If your AirPods aren't within range of your iPhone, the devices won't be able to connect to each other. AirPods connect to your iPhone through Bluetooth, which only works when your devices are within a certain range of each other.

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How Do I Make Sure My AirPods Are In Range Of My iPhone?

Go to the Home screen.

Open the Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom edge of the screen.

Use your finger to swipe from right to left to open the audio interface (pictured on the left).

Tap the audio output button , which looks like a triangle with three circles coming out of it.

If your AirPods are not listed here as an audio output source, then your AirPods are out of range.

Reset All Settings

Many iPhone problems are caused when Settings isn't set up correctly or by corruption within individual Settings app files. Restoring the Settings app back to factory defaults doesn't fix every iPhone software problem, but it is a go-to fix for Apple technicians because it does solve a lot of problems that would be very difficult to to track down by hand.

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How Do I Reset All Settings?

Go to the Home screen.

Open the Settings app.

Tap General.

Use your finger to scroll down to Reset. It will be the last option in Settings -> General.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

If You're Outside The Return Window

Your AirPods Are Connected To Your iPhone!

Your AirPods are now connected to your iPhone and you can finally start enjoying your Bluetooth headphones! Now you know exactly how to keep your AirPods connected to your iPhone. Thanks for reading our article and we hope you share this with all the AirPods lovers you know. Feel free to leave us a comment down below if you have any further questions, or if you just want to tell us what you think about your AirPods!